Banner illustration "We All Belong Here" by artist Zofia Chamienia
Places of Belonging is a program with a bold vision to co-create many places, all over, where belonging (without othering) is intentionally designed for and experienced. We work with groups and institutions that are committed to advancing belonging, meeting them where they are on their journey and moving forward together. Through shared learning, research, convenings, and practical strategies tailored to specific needs and contexts, we contribute to places of belonging—from classrooms to cities to national governments and global networks.
Our work is centered on advancing belonging as a concept and practice as well as building connection and practice towards the institute's key frames of hough Bridging, Targeted Universalism. Our work is building on decades of social change efforts and moving towards a future where belonging is a reality for all, leaving no one outside of the circle of human concern. Places of Belonging strives to co-create places where everyone can thrive.
Our work focuses in three areas:
- Meaning-making for belonging practitioners:
- Our program aims to meet the need and demand of belonging builders for capacity building across varied institutions and sectors. We have established belonging practice communities to advance practitioner understanding and offer group experiences of working with the foundational frames of the Institute. These communities are national in scale and will likely grow to international capacity to best meet the needs of belonging practitioners and institutions
- Advancing belonging within Institutions:
- Our program engages in collaboration with aligned institutions within Government, Education, Healthcare, Non-Profits and Philanthropy on advancing their organizations internal understanding of belonging, bridging and targeted universalism and engages in co-creating different learning offerings, practice experiences and long term planning of the inclusion and growth as belonging without othering within their organization. The impact within these institutions is never limited to an internal focus, it is always coupled with intentional design of methods to also make a positive community impact.
- Creating materials that advance understanding and examples of belonging in practice:
- We are committed to making belonging materials and learnings available in creative, modern and accessible ways to enhance and amplify current ideas and strategies. Examples of these include Belonging Design principles, OBIU courses (Introduction to belonging, Introduction to bridging, introduction to Targeted universalism, TU Fact Sheet, Belonging Info Graphic, Belonging a weekly practice facilitator guide)
